Feds Schedule Vogtle Reactor Approval

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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a license to build one of the nation's first nuclear power plants in a generation could come by December.

NRC officials said this week in a letter that they plan to issue a final safety report this month on Georgia Power's plan to build two more reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta. Afterward, the NRC would schedule a public hearing on the project and vote on whether to authorize it.

Before it issues a license, the NRC must decide whether to accept the design of Westinghouse Electric Company's AP1000 reactor, which would power the plant. Any delays in approving that reactor design could affect the review schedule for the new plant.